The Shadow
by MutantOctopus
Summary: It was a day like any other day that Twilight heard the music.  Any other pony would've walked by, but Twilight stopped.  The house was supposed to be abandoned.
1. The Music

**Yep, I think I'm officially a brony. This story started interestingly; I heard "Art of the Dress", and the first thing that I imagined after hearing it was a character, which evolved into a personality, which I eventually started thinking of a story for. In other words, I thought of several different things and pieced them together.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, aside from the story and the character I'll introduce next chapter.**

...

It was a day like any other when Twilight heard the music. One could say that she only heard it because she lost the bet Pinkie Pie dragged her into, because she was towing a particularly heavy wagon, loaded with various fruits, past the house when she heard it. It was a quiet, somewhat sad song, played on the piano, but a beautiful piece all the same. Most ponies would probably just walk by, but when Twilight heard it, she stopped pulling the cart and saw the house, for one reason.

"Spike, isn't that house supposed to be abandoned?" She asked the baby dragon that was laying on the pile of fruit. He sat up and looked at it.

"I'm pretty sure it was... But now there's someone in there?" He replied, scratching his head. "If there is, why haven't we seen them? Or heard of them? All ponies that move into Ponyville try to make friends with others. Or maybe it's... It's... Haunted!"

"Oh, don't be so dramatic, Spike." Twilight scoffed. "Ghosts are just myths."

Spike glanced at her, than at himself, and shrugged.

It was about then that Pinkie Pie bounced in, being her usual bubbly self.

"Hey, Twilight! What's goin' on?"

"Well, I _was_ dragging this _big heavy fruit cart_ along," Twilight said, glaring at Pinkie for making her be a part of the bet in the first place, "When I heard somepony playing the piano in the house up there."

"Isn't that house supposed to be abandoned?"

"That's what I thought, too."

"Ooh! That means that there's a new person in town! I'll go get everyone else!" Pinkie said before zooming off to bring the rest of the group.

"Pinkie, wait! I think..." Twilight started, but stopped when she knew that Pinkie wasn't going to come back and listen. She sighed.

...

About the time Twilight was walking back from the fruit delivery, Pinkie Pie had assembled the rest of the group.

"Why did you bring us here, again?" Rainbow Dash asked, obviously wanting something more fun to do.

"'Cause there's a new person! And meeting new people is always fun!" Pinkie responded.

"Pinkie, are we really going to walk up and knock on the door?" Twilight asked disbelievingly.

"Sure! I brought all the welcoming party stuff!" The pink pony responded, pulling out a party favor and blowing it.

"Um, truth be told," Fluttershy said quietly, "I don't get a good feeling from this place. I mean, as far as we know, it was abandoned yesterday, and today it isn't, and we never saw anything about someone moving in..."

"Oh, don't be silly!" Pinkie encouraged, "I'm sure the new pony would like our company!"

And with that, she ran into the house before anypony could stop her.

"... Let me guess, now we have to go in and get her out?" Rainbow Dash groaned. Twilight nodded, and the pegasus sighed. "Well, let's get this over with."


	2. The Musician

**Today, we meet the central conflict in the story, as well as a character I thought of.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing, aside from the story and character I introduce this chapter.**

...

The house certainly had a foreboding atmosphere; perhaps it was the somewhat-broken look, or maybe the chipped paint, or the paintings that seemed to stare at you as you walked through the dark entry hall. In fact, it was debatable whether the paintings actually DID stare at you, but that's not important.

"Twilight, is Pinkie really this important? Are you sure we can't just leave before something, well, bad happens?" Spike asked nervously, staring back at a particularly creepy piece of art.

"Spike, if something bad _is_ in this house, you know Pinkie's too... eccentric to not get in trouble." Twilight replied, slightly irritated that he would try to leave Pinkie behind, even if Pinkie tended to get in the way. Of everybody. "If you don't want to come, wait outside."

"Good idea! I'll go do that!" He said, and ran off.

Twilight sighed in annoyance.

When they got to the end of the hall, they were found with a door, which Pinkie was listening through.

"Hey, guys! The music's coming through here!" She said, bouncing up and down. "C'mon! Let's go in! Let's go in! Let's go let's go let's go let's go let's-"

She was flattened against the wall when the door swung open. A tall unicorn with a deep black coat and a sharp black horn loomed in the frame, a bright red, spiked mane just visible. His tail was thin and straight, and ended with the shape of a paintbrush tip, while his mane seemed to have jagged music notes patterned on it. His cutie mark, barely visible, was a pair of gears, the same color as his mane and tail.

He wasn't happy.

"Oy, Who's making so much **noise**?" He yelled, nostrils flared, "I can't think to play my music!"

As all the ponies stepped back, Twilight spoke up.

"Well, uh, sorry, sir, but we were just trying to get our friend out of your house, and she was the one making the most noise out of all of us, and-"

"And where IS your friend, hm?"

"Flattened against your wall."

The unicorn pulled away the door and saw Pinkie, who fell forward onto the floor, but quickly recovered and resumed bouncing like normal near the rest.

"We heard your music and came to make friends!" She explained.

"Well, _she_ did." Rainbow Dash said, pretty much proving how boring she thought this was.

"Friends, hm...?" The unicorn asked. He sounded a bit sad, almost. His mane and tail turned sky blue. The mane lost the spikes and became sort of fluffy, and the notes on it curved as if they were bending forward. The tail drooped, and his overall presence sort of shrunk, so that the group realized he wasn't any bigger than they were. However, he quickly went back to his angry appearance, and said, "Well, let's see who you've brought, hm? Aside from the annoying and hyperactive you, you've brought a nitpick that can't stand with imperfection, a bookworm who doesn't exactly have a wealth of social skills, a hard-head who can't admit when she needs help, and a lazy tomboy that can't handle failure." He said to the group, earning gasps and "Hey!"s from the ponies. Rainbow Dash tried to attack him, but Applejack grabbed her by the tail, even though she desperately wanted to hurt him, too.

"Hey, you didn't insult Fluttershy!" Pinkie pointed out after a short moment to realize it, as if that was more of a problem than being called annoying and hyperactive. The figure looming over them opened his mouth slightly, as if he was going to say something, but he stopped and his pupils shrunk for a second. His mane turned orange and somewhat covered his eyes, and his tail stayed perfectly still. He shook his head and turned angry again.

"That isn't important! What IS important is that you _GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!_"

"Wow," Pinkie responded, unfazed, "You aren't going to make friends like that."

He stuttered for a second, then became sad again and sighed.

"You're right," He said after a long pause, "I won't. Leave me alone."

With that, he walked back into the room, and there was the click of a lock.

After a while of awkward silence, Rainbow Dash said, "Smooth move, Pinkie."

...

"I don't get it," Pinkie said, eating a muffin that somepony left in her mail, "All ponies want to make friends! But he was like, 'aargh, get out of my house!' and wasn't very friendly at all! And when I try to give him friend-making tips, he locks himself in that room!"

"I don't get it, either. It's usually natural personality to want friends, at least here in Ponyville." Twilight responded. She was searching for a book in the library. If there was something not right, finding a book on the topic made her feel better, even if it was improbable that it was a book. But after checking absolutely every shelf, there was no book that could tell her the slightest thing about it. She sat in a chair with a sigh. "Maybe he was just having a bad day. No, if he was having a bad day, he wouldn't be able to play music as well as he was. And you know what's weird? He knew our personality flaws without even knowing us."

After a short while of thinking over that fact, Twilight spoke again.

"You know, it just occurred to me; Maybe he was in that house all this time, and nobody knew. He just stayed in the background, where nobody noticed him."

"Like a shadow!" Pinkie exclaimed.

"Yeah, Pinkie." Twilight said, glancing at the shadows thrown on the wall by the light, "Like a shadow."


	3. The Art

**In this chapter, we learn a couple of odd mannerisms of the pony, and his name.**

**Disclaimer: I only own the plot and the pony.**

...

The next day or two, Twilight decided to see if she could get more information on the unicorn living in the house. She would set herself up on a hill early in the morning with a pair of binoculars, a small clock and some food. She could see right into the room the piano was in. As well as the piano, there were several unfinished paintings, a small stage with a writing table nearby, some statue bases, a table with various colored paper and some cutting tools and what she thought was a bottle of glue, a few chairs, a modeling table, and a small woodworking table. She assembled a schedule, and is written as follows:

7:00 AM: Opens window and stands by it for a while. At some point in-between, goes and paces around the room in thought.

8:00 AM: Paints.

10:00 AM: Plays piano.

11:00 AM: Goes back and forth between the woodworking table projects and paper table projects.

12:00 AM: Leaves room, probably to have lunch.

1:30 PM: Returns to room. Acts on the stage or writes at the table.

2:00 PM: Paints.

4:00 PM: Makes models.

5:00 PM: Sculpts what appear to be larger versions of models as statues.

6:00 PM: Leaves room. Probably has dinner.

7:00 PM: Does various things around room, or takes a finished project to a different room. Saturday, he left for a half-hour during this period and came back with supplies.

8:00 PM: Plays piano.

9:00 PM: Leaves room and doesn't come back for at least 3 hours. Probably goes to sleep (Spike recorded whether he comes back or not; See for self.)

After three days to make sure everything had a strict schedule, she looked over it the next day and puzzled _why_ his schedule was so strict. He didn't need to have a schedule _for_ something; perhaps he simply wanted to have a time for everything. Either way, she met up with the others that day.

"... So, after recording a very strict schedule that he lives to," She announced, wrapping up her summarizing of recordings, "I think that the best time to try to apologize would be..." She paused to check the notes, "Between Seven and Eight. Can everyone be there at that time?"

"Oh, sorry, can't. I busy." Rainbow Dash said. Twilight cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Doing what?"

"... Um... Practicing. For a... Thing."

"Rainbow Dash," Twilight sighed, "I know our local artist might not be very, well, _interesting_ for you,-"

"You've got that right."

"- But we got him awfully upset the other day, and I think we really ought to apologize."

"_He_ ought to apologize to _us_! Besides, _I_ didn't do anything!"

"Rainbow Dash..." Twilight said in a warning tone. "We'd already gotten him all worked up by interrupting his piano. I'm sure if we could talk in a better light, he'd apologize. And even if you didn't do something, you ought to come along anyway. It's polite. And I think we'll make a better impression if we're all here."

After realizing she wasn't getting out of this one, Rainbow Dash sighed and reluctantly said "Fine."

"Good. Remember, 7:00! 7:30 at latest! I think we can actually change our first impression if we try hard enough!" Twilight announced one final time, then added, "You are dismissed," before walking back to her library.

…

At 7:00 sharp, everyone was there. Well, almost everyone. Rainbow Dash was a bit late, for obvious reasons.

"Does this guy have a doorbell?" Pinkie asked, looking around the door for the little button. "Aha, here it is!"

With the tip of her nose, she pushed in the button. A loud chime echoed through the house. Moments later, the almost silhouette-like unicorn from before opened the door. After seeing the group, Pinkie namely, he remembered the remark that was given to him before he locked them out and grew solemn again.

"Oh. It's you again. Hello." He mumbled. "Is there something you wanted? No, no, you don't. Nobody ever asks anything of me, nobody ever asks for my creations..."

"Actually, sir," Twilight said, walking up, "We came to apologize for before. We interrupted your music, and we're very sorry about that. And Pinkie's sorry for what she said, too."

"Oh. Oh, you came to apologize..." The pony said, a bit louder, "Nobody ever comes back to apologize. They just leave me here... Alone... Well, thanks. I'm sorry for getting angry at you the other day, too... If you don't mind, I'll be getting back to my music..."

He started to walk back in, but he was stopped by Fluttershy.

"Um, sir, can we come in and listen to your music?"

Most wouldn't hear this request, no, but the moment this request was said, this unicorn heard it, and his ears went straight up. His mane became a bright yellow and stood up straight, looking more clean-cut and prepped than it had before. He turned around with an overjoyed look in his eyes, and everyone looked at Fluttershy, where he was looking; Being in the back of the group had made it so that none of the others had heard her, either.

"You... You want to... You want to hear my music? Oh, excellent! Fantastic! Stupendous! Oh, nobody ever wants to hear my music! Come in, come in! If you had told me that you wanted to hear my music, I wouldn't left you out here in the cold!"

The ponies glanced around, confused, because it was a perfectly warm day. Nonetheless, they followed his lead through the now well-lit hall. The paintings, instead of watching them, seemed to be welcoming them, and they were lead into the room where the pony's work took place. He dragged six chairs from around the room into the center.

"By the way, I'm Amadeus," He said, stretching and preparing to perform, "I figure if you're actually going to talk to me, you ought to know me by my my name."

After a couple seconds, he turned to the ponies.

"Uh, can you please not fly? There's a lot of fragile artwork in here, and, frankly, I'm afraid you'll knock it over."

With a sigh, Rainbow Dash sat down.

"Thank you. So, what do we want to hear? Happy piece? Sad piece? Fast? Slow? Dramatic? Modest? C'mon, take your pick!"

"Anything that's fine for you." Twilight said. Amadeus nodded thoughtfully.

"Hm, yes... In that case, will you listen to a piece I've been working on? I don't think it sounds just right, and I need an opinion. You will? Good! Settle down, relax, close your eyes, and listen."

Before the ponies had any chance to respond, the song was started. The piece started off slowly and sadly, but quickly adopted a bouncier and more cheerful tune. The cheerful tune slowly changed into a dramatic and hateful song, with short bursts of calm in between. It ended with a return to the original melody, and a final dramatic chord.

"... So, how was it?" He asked, turning back to the group and dusting off his hooves. He was given comments of praise, how it seemed to suck one in as it was heard. Aside from one indifferent "Meh" from Rainbow Dash, all he heard was good about it, and he didn't seem like anything could have made him happier.

"Oh, thank you, thank you! I guess there's nothing to change! I'm keeping it as-is! Hey! Hey! While you're here, would you like to look at my gallery? I put my paintings, my scripts, my sheet music, my sculptures, my statues- Everything I make stays in there if it isn't on display in the hall! Oh, come have a look! Come have a look!"

He was certainly eccentric, Twilight noticed, when he was in a good mood. But one odd thing was his, well, overreaction to having others over in comparison to other ponies.

_I'm going to have to investigate this._ Twilight thought before Amadeus whisked her off to the gallery.

…

The gallery was chock-full of paintings and scripts and sheet music and sculptures and everything else artistic, and yet somehow there was enough room to store it all so it could all be appreciated. Everyone got interested in one thing or another, and even Rainbow Dash found a wooden puzzle that she got distracted by; A tangle of wooden pieces that, as Amadeus put it, "Can be taken apart... But the question is how?". Rarity found some quilts and fabrics that she thought would be wonderful in clothing. Fluttershy found a collection of very pretty animal pictures, while Applejack found some broken farm tools that were wonderfully repurposed into sculptures. Pinkie just got distracted by everything. But Twilight got intrigued in another thing. It was a collection of paintings that appeared to be depicting several events that had happened in Ponyville with the group. The group in front of the cave of the dragon that covered the skies in smoke, Rainbow Dash's Sonic Rainboom in practice, Rarity stitching Fluttershy's dress for the Great Galloping Gala, Pinkie's "Pinkie Sense", and the group's afflictions from what they thought was "Zecora's Curse", to name a few.

"Ah, you found those, did you?" Amadeus said, sneaking up on her.

"How did you-?"

"I don't know, myself. The pictures just... Happened. I would paint a line or two, and then it would evolve into this. What's weird, though..."

"What?"

"Well, look at this one," He said, picking up the dragon painting, "And tell me what you see."

"I see the dragon that was sleeping in the cave, with us just outside the cave. I remember how Fluttershy got him out..."

"Yes, yes, but what's odd is that this picture... Happened... _before smoke even gathered over Ponyville_. It's a mystery I've been trying to figure out since they started happening. I'll paint a picture, and get a funny feeling. Then a day or two later, something happens relating to that picture. It's the strangest occurrence, the wierdest phenomenon..."

"I think I got it!" Rainbow dash said from where she was. This was followed by a "Wait...", and then a "Never mind."


	4. The Answer

**All of a sudden, I have a popular story. Weird. Never figured as many people would like this as they did...**

**Sorry for taking so long, writer's block, y'know?**

**A note: Amadeus is now a unicorn instead of a normal pony. I figure that it would be pretty hard for a pony to paint pictures and sculpt things without magic, so I changed the past chapters for simplicity. Also, between the last chapter and this one, Amadeus was told the group's names.**

**Disclaimer: I only own the plot, the song Amadeus sings this chapter, and Amadeus.**

…

"Fluttershy, has anybody ever told you how _great_ you'd look as a statue?" Amadeus asked after pacing around her for a bit. In the background, Rarity let out an indignant "Hmph."

"Oh, really? I can't say that-"

"Quickly, while I have inspiration! I need you to stand on that base. Right there. Good. Turn that way a little bit... No, too far. Good. Now, move that leg forward some... Raise that leg... Perfect! Smile a bit. Good. Stay just like that while I shape a model."

The others glanced to him from the unfinished art they were looking at as Amadeus shaped some yellow and pink clay into the shape of Fluttershy as she was posing. He would make a part, then go to a different angle. Repeat as necessary.

"Mmm... Yep! I think I got everything!" He announced as he circled around her one final time, looking from her to the model to her again. Fluttershy gently stepped off the statue base as Amadeus perfected the clay figure.

"I think he likes you..." Pinkie said to her teasingly. Amadeus raised a hoof.

"No, no, I..."

He paused and turned around, thinking about his wording.

"I mean, I don't _like_ you, but I don't dislike you. I just got inspired and _had_ to get a model made so I could make a statue tomorrow. Otherwise, the opportunity may well be lost forever, as true art is fleeting and must be made while it can."

Just as he said that, the stylized clock on the wall chimed.

"And how well timed that I'm talking about running out of time just as the time you can visit ends!" He mused as he started to usher out the ponies, "I'm sorry, you need to leave while I work on some music. If you want to come back for some reason, visit tomorrow."

…

"Twilight, is somethin' wrong?" Applejack asked as Twilight tripped over the third very obvious rock on the road back to her library.

"I just don't get it." She said, picking herself back up. "I want to know why he keeps himself locked up in that house all the time, and why he has such a strict schedule, and why he doesn't really seem to want us as friends. Sure, he was happy having us over, but he seemed like he was considering us company, at most, and even then I only feel he let us in because we wanted to hear his music. Even when he went out to get supplies, I saw him ignore anyone that talked to him at best, and scare off the persistent ones. Didn't talk to even the store clerk; Just nodded and handed over money. I want answers!"

"Maybe he just don't want any friends."

"But I want to know-" She tripped again and sighed, "-Why."

"Why don'cha take a break from thinkin' about it?"

"I can't! Can you think of anything I can do to take my mind off it?"

Applejack stopped and thought for a moment, then suggested, "You could c'mon down to the apple farm and help harvest."

"Sure. Let's do that."

…

The next day, Twilight still had her mind on Amadeus. There was an answer to everything- Well, almost everything- and she still wanted to know why he was so cold and distant when compared to everyone else. It was that day that she decided that she would see him and ask.

…

At 7:00, she rang the doorbell and was greeted with Amadeus once again.

"Oh. Oh, only you... Oh, well, I suppose it's better than nobody. Which is what I usually get... I'm sorry, I'm conversing with myself and digressing into a completely unrelated topic. Come in, come in."

They went to the workroom and Amadeus sat down at the piano, neglecting to turn on the light or open the curtain.

"So, what did you come for?" He asked, playing a simple, cheerful piece.

"Well, I was sort of curious. Why don't you ever try to make friends?"

He stopped dead in the middle of a line. His mane turned blue once again.

"Well, it's a long story. I sort of... Well, it's like... It happened like... I'm sorry, I can't talk about these things normally. But if I can incorporate it into a music, that ought to make it less uncomfortable, is that okay? Good. Sorry, it's a quirk of mine."

He cleared his throat and played a note on the piano to orient himself. He started a slow, sad, lonely melody with the piano, almost like the one Twilight first heard.

"I find myself set from the rest

by my horrid luck." He sang,

"Ev'ry one of my friendships

ends in depression's muck.

Ev'ry friend I've ever had

has either died or left,

and stole my happy life,

in a sad'ning theft."

The music took a faster tempo and a darker tone,

"Now I'm just a shadow,

I hide from cursed light,

from my friends,

the anguish that would follow.

A shadow runs from sunlight,

hiding in the dark,

and never has to worry about sorrow."

Once again, it returned to the slow, sad melody,

"I chose this path

for my own good,

and from it,

happiness withstood...

But now I start to question,

is this path really right?

Because I think you six

brought me into the light."

Once again, the faster, darker melody,

"'Cause now I'm just a shadow,

I hide from cursed light,

from my friends, the anguish that would follow.

But you're letting in the sunlight,

taking 'way the dark,

and now I fear you will all just bring sorrow."

After a dramatic finale, he turned from his piano.

"There, you've heard my story. If I make friends, it'll just end with holes in my heart, like always." He muttered, slowly turning back to the piano.

"Are you sure about that? Look at us six! We've been through thick and thin together, and we're still-"

Amadeus pounded on the keys and whipped around, pointing a hoof at her. His mane was a rage-filled blood red, redder than Twilight had seen from him.

"LIES!" He yelled, "It's all lies! You won't last forever! No, you'll get in a fight over something, and your friendship will be destroyed! I've seen it happen to me, and I've seen it happen to others! Every friendship comes to a horrible end, no matter what precautions! You'll be left, alone, just like me, after something happens that tears you all apart! I can see it now, two people get in an argument, and then one person takes a side with someone, and everyone else in your little group takes sides, too! There'll be one person that's determined to keep the group together, I'm betting Fluttershy, and she'll be hit hardest! Take it from me, girl, leave your friends now! Before something happens! If you aren't there in the argument, it won't be your fault when the one that tries to keep things together gets hurt! Sink into the shadows, like I did, and there will be no broken heart, no guilt, no loneliness, no sadness, nothing! I leave you with that advice, and I suggest you think over it carefully before saying I'm crazy."

He turned back to his piano and just sat there. Twilight took a step back, then another, and then turned around. Before she left the room, she glanced back at him; He was sad now, maybe even crying. She knew it would be best to leave him alone, so she went into the hall and closed the door behind her, leaving Amadeus in the dark.


	5. The Attempts

**Hello, again! In this chapter, we reveal another oddity about Amadeus' art, and the group tries to get Amadeus to open up to the world.**

**Disclaimer: I only own the plot and Amadeus.**

...

Amadeus awoke from the piano he had fallen asleep on the previous night. He rubbed his eyes and checked the time, and shook himself awake. He realized he had slept in, and muttered to himself about how he wouldn't have enough inspiration for his art. He felt around for the curtain and pulled it away from his "Inspiration Window" that he would look down at the town through each morning. He saw a rabbit hop by and smiled. However, he then saw Fluttershy trotting after the rabbit, talking to it. It hopped into a bush and she sighed, and Amadeus had an urge to go help.

"Fluttershy, is something wrong?" He asked, getting her attention. She looked at him and frowned a bit.

"Well, something's put all the animals into a tizzy, and they've run all over Ponyville! I can't calm any of them down..." She sighed, looking at the bush. The rabbit looked out at her, and ducked back under the cover of the leaves.

Amadeus donned a concerned look and said, "I think I know something that will help. Just a second."

He went back into his house and opened the large window further than it had been. He pushed the piano near to it, and turned it so that the lid's opening faced outward.

"What are you doing?" Fluttershy asked, looking at the piano. Amadeus looked down at her.

"Trust me, this ought to work."

He played a song, calm as the ocean on a clear day. As the song went on, the rabbit crept out of the bush and came closer to the window to listen. A few birds landed on the windowsill, a few moles came out of the ground, and more and more animals came to listen, until, by Fluttershy's count, all of them had been attracted by the music. Fluttershy tried to tell him that he could stop, but he waved a hoof in her direction before returning to his music.

His concert attracted some unwanted attention, too; A pair of pegasi on a cloud above the house heard the music and came to listen, and just like the animals, more and more appeared to hear the performance.

…

Applejack bucked the apples off another tree, and heard a piano playing. Softly, but present all the same.

"What's that?" She asked herself, looking in its direction. Something in her subconscious compelled her to go towards the sound.

This happened to the others of the group, too; Rarity stopped sewing a dress, Twilight interrupted a book she was reading, Spike stopped putting books away, Rainbow Dash neglected clearing a few clouds, and Pinkie Pie followed the customers that were leaving the Sugarcube Corner. Practically every living creature withing earshot became a part of the entranced crowd, which grew with each verse of the song.

…

Amadeus finished his song subtly and quietly, compared to his usual dramatic endings. He turned to the window.

"So, Fluttershy, did that-" He opened his eyes and was startled upon seeing the crowd, which had started clapping and cheering. His pupils shrunk and he froze for a second, but shut the window, locked it, and closed the curtain as soon as he regained movement. His hoof snuck around the curtain and placed a "Go away" sign on the window's handle, then disappeared. The crowd slowly dissipated, leaving only Fluttershy, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, Twilight, Spike, Applejack, and Pinkie Pie.

"... What just happened?" Applejack asked, looking at the sign, after a few seconds of silence.

"Well, we heard music, and-"

"No, no, I mean, what's with the sudden panic?" Applejack clarified, interrupting Pinkie Pie.

"... I think I know that." Twilight said after a moment of internal conflict, which returned when everyone turned to her. She swallowed and explained, "He's never had a good experience with friendship, and each of his friends were taken away or left him. Now he's worried that if he gets friends, he'll lose them like before, and refuses to make friends because he figures it will end in a fit of sadness."

"The poor thing!" Rarity said sympathetically.

Twilight continued, "He's probably worried that, now that people know him, he'll be bombarded with people who want to be his friend."

"Golly," Applejack said, "We can't have that! Everypony needs friends! I say we try to get him to open up. What time is it?"

"Time?" Rarity asked, and came to the realization, "Oh my gosh! I've been here all this time, and I have a dress to finish! I need to get back to my shop!"

As Rarity galloped off, Rainbow Dash realized, "And I need to finish clearing the clouds! No time to waste!" before she zoomed off for the clouds.

"And I had customers!" Pinkie said, and gasped, "And I left something in the oven!"

She ran off too.

"Sorry, but I need to get the animals back to their homes." Fluttershy said quietly, and lead the wildlife away, leaving Applejack, Twilight, and Spike.

"I think I'll make an apple dish or two, just fer him." Applejack said before trotting off to her farm.

"Applejack, I don't think..." Twilight began, but sighed and walked back to her library. She knew that there was no changing Applejack's mind.

…

First attempt: Applejack

Amadeus was interrupted from a sculpture by the doorbell chiming. He cautiously approached the door and peeked outside. Seeing it was only Applejack, he opened the door.

"Hello, Applejack. What brings you here?"

The pony set down the package she was carrying in her mouth so she could talk.

"I brought ya somethin'! She explained, nudging the box towards him. "Some apple dishes that I made myself!"

He used some magic to make the box float so he could look inside. He smiled a little and looked back up at her.

"Well, I appreciate the thought," He said, "And I'll be taking this inside now. Thank you for visiting."

"Hey, d'you suppose I could come in an' chat? We could get ta know each other?" Applejack asked. Amadeus' face became dead serious.

"No." He said bluntly, and closed the door.

…

Second attempt: Rarity

Amadeus was interrupted from a carving by the doorbell chiming. He got up and went to the front door. He looked through the peephole and opened the door for Rarity.

"Ah, Rarity, it's you. I suppose there's a reason you're here." He said.

"Well," She said, putting on her best friendly face, "I was just here to look at some of your fabrics. They look so wonderful, and I can't get the pattern right. May I come in and study them?"

Amadeus glared at her.

"You may not come in, but I can give you a set of directions for the patterns," He said, going to the gallery and coming back with a folder and a stack of cloths. He added, "I can't just _give_ these to you, though. Pick a fabric and I can sell you the pattern for, oh... 10 cents each."

Slightly frustrated, she picked out some of the patterns and handed over the money. He gave her the corresponding papers from the folder and, after she decided she was done, closed the door on her.

"Well, I never." She muttered, and went back to the shop.

…

Third attempt: Rainbow Dash

Amadeus was interrupted from a piano piece by the doorbell chiming. Frustrated, he went to the door and opened it a little. He opened it the rest of the way, seeing it was Rainbow Dash.

"What is it?" He asked, annoyed.

"Well, y'see, I came up with this new trick, and I need someone to tell me how it is," She explained, "Everyone else is busy, so I came to see if you'd watch!"

Amadeus sighed, and said, "I guess. Make it quick, though, I'm working with the piano."

"Cool! Watch me from that big window you have." She said, and ran onto the path to get some takeoff space.

Amadeus sighed again and walked into his work-in-progress room, watching Rainbow Dash through the window.

The pegasus made a running takeoff and did several complex tricks in the air. As Amadeus watched, he became more an more intrigued, until he found the moment that made a snapshot in his mind. He ran to his canvas and started painting while he could remember the moment perfectly. After her performance, meanwhile, Rainbow Dash landed and walked to the door. She rang the doorbell again.

"It was great!" Amadeus said hurriedly after opening the door, "In fact, I'm inspired! Making a picture now! No time to talk! Need to paint while I remember!"

He closed the door and went back to painting.

…

Fourth attempt: Twilight Sparkle

Amadeus was interrupted from his coloring in of the painting by the doorbell chiming. He threw down his paintbrush and growled in frustration before stomping to the door. He opened it and saw Twilight.

"What do you want?" He asked angrily.

"Well, I noticed that you wrote books, and I was wondering if you could lend me a-"

"No."

The door got slammed in her face.

…

Fifth attempt: Fluttershy

Amadeus was interrupted from his writing by the doorbell chiming. His frustration reaching its peak, he stormed to the door and left a trail of hatred in his wake. He flung the door open."WHAT DO YOU-" He roared, but realized it was Fluttershy that had opened the door and came to his senses. He said, "Oh, it's you, Fluttershy. Eheh, sorry, I've been interrupted a lot today. Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Well," She said, avoiding eye contact, "My friends sort of asked me to try to make friends with you... I don't mean to interrupt. If this is a bad time, I can leave..."

Amadeus paused for a second, then spoke.

"Sorry, Fluttershy, I _am_ kind of busy, and can't take visitors. Sorry, but I have to ask you to leave."

"Oh. Okay."

She quietly walked away, and Amadeus closed the door behind her.


	6. The Party

**Hello, once again. I appreciate the small number of people that have been reading, which, frankly, seems to be relative to the amount of chapters I've put up... One chapter seems to add one new person to the readers that have put this on their favorites this or put this on alert or reviewed. Thanks to you all. Anyway, in this chapter, the last pony in the group makes a last-ditch attempt to get Amadeus to have some friends.**

**Disclaimer: As usual, I only own Amadeus and the plot of the story.**

…

Sixth attempt: Pinkie Pie

Amadeus colored in the painting while mentally kicking himself. He knew how sensitive Fluttershy was, and chastised himself for having such a hair-trigger temper. As his paintbrush lost its paint, he dipped it once again in the cup with the red he needed. Realizing that was gone, he set the paintbrush down next to the paints and went to get the bottle of paint he needed. He didn't find it where he thought he left it, however, and looked in the supply closet.

"Huh," He muttered to himself, looking at the shelf where he normally kept his paints, "I must've run out of the red I need. Great, now I need to go out to the store so I can get some more..."

He took off his painting apron and put on the silk hat he wore whenever he went out, so that the shadows from the brim fell over his face. He stepped outside and headed off for the store.

…

He arrived back at his house, floating the three paint bottles he had bought in front of him, and opened the door. He set the bottles on a small stand while he put his apron back on and hung his hat back on his post, and went back to the art room.

He wasn't pleased when he got there.

The room was packed with ponies from Ponyville, all talking and taking no notice of the black unicorn that had entered the room. However, he heard a single voice call out over the crowd, "Our guest of honor is here!"

It came from a pink, hyperactive, annoying pony up on the stage. All eyes turned to Amadeus, and he glared at the pony at the DJ podium's microphone, but waved a hoof to the crowd.

"No, no, you must be mistaken. Carry on, I'm just another guest."

The crowd slowly and hesitantly went back to their conversations, and Pinkie looked confused, but shrugged it off.

Amadeus, meanwhile, did not talk. He made his way through the crowd and dragged Pinkie away from the DJ's mixing board and brought her backstage, where he found the other five, apparently seeing over the party.

"What is going on here?" He whispered through gritted teeth, pushing Pinkie Pie towards them. Here, he stopped restraining his anger and his mane changed color. The others looked up and noticed him. They all stepped back meekly.

"Well, I made a party! I figured that if we got enough people around, you'd mingle and make a few friends!" Pinkie explained. She was oblivious to his anger.

Amadeus stuttered and finally got words to come out. He said, teeth still gritted, "I didn't plan anything of the sort! What makes you think you can just bring a party to someone's house without their permission? At least the others were subtle and asked me first, but no, you just go and make a party with no warning whatsoever!"

"Tell me about it," Twilight said, "She did the exact same thing to me." She turned her attention to Pinkie. "Pinkie, didn't you hear me when I said that he was afraid of making _one_ friend, let alone several?"

Pinkie put a hoof to her chin and tried to remember.

…

The following flashback is presented in the format of what Pinkie was thinking about the time Twilight was explaining:

_He's never had a good time with friendship? Oh, so he can't make friends? That's sad! I know! I'll get him to meet lots of people, and then he'll have lots of friends! Where do you meet lots of people... Hm... Carnival, town square, disaster area, rehab, PARTY! Why didn't I think of it first? This'll take a lot of coordination and skill... First, I need to get him out of the house... Hm... I know! He needs to get supplies if he doesn't have something! So, I can steal some paint, and- OH MY GOSH, THERE ARE CUSTOMERS! AND I LEFT SOMETHING IN THE OVEN!_

…

"Nope." She replied bluntly.

"Well, I don't care what you did and why, just get them out of the house!" Amadeus growled. Pinkie was no longer oblivious to his anger and stopped bouncing, shrinking back just like the others.

"... I... don't think we can." Fluttershy said nervously.

Amadeus reared up and stomped on the ground in anger. He snorted.

"Well, I want to work on my art, and I can't very well do that when _my workroom is flooded with ponies!_"

There was a loud crack. Amadeus, scared, looked out at the party, along with the others.

His mane turned as red as the other day with Twilight. Out along the wall, the piano had been broken in half. It turned an even angrier red, and angrier still, the spikes becoming larger and more flame-like. He burst onto the stage.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY PIANO?" He roared. The crowd was silenced. A large chair slid and blocked the door from a couple of ponies that tried to back out. "NOBODY LEAVES UNTIL I FIGURE OUT WHO DID THIS!"

Backstage, the six looked at each other. Pinkie backed away from the group, but was caught by Twilight.

"Pinkie, where are you going?"

"Nowhere! Honest!"

"... Do you have any idea what happened to the piano?"

"No! Well..."

"Pinkie..."

"I sort of put something on one of the hammer thingies, so that when he hit a note, it'd sound funny. I didn't mean to break it!"

"You didn't, hm?" Amadeus said. He loomed over Pinkie, nostrils flared. Everypony stepped back and Pinkie slowly turned around. "In that case, I'll go easy on you. You only have to _compile enough money to buy me a new piano._ I expect to see you at every evening at 7:00 sharp. You are to give me any and all money that you don't need for your bare necessities until I am able to buy a new piano of the same style, same brand, same quality. And if I figure out you're getting any help from your... _Friends_," He said, as if the word was a poison, "There _will_ be consequences."

"But, Amadeus-!" Twilight said, but was interrupted.

"No buts! She broke my piano, and she'll take responsibility. And she can't get your help because it's _her_ responsibility and hers alone. I understand you had no part in it, so I'm not allowing you to help." He said strictly. He stormed out onto the stage, followed by a very loud yell of "_**EVERYBODY OUT!**_" and the sound of hoofsteps shuffling out of the room. As the ponies left, Amadeus walked over to the remnants of his piano, the crafting table for his musical art, and fumed over what had happened that day. As the group left, he walked to his kitchen and opened the box he had received from Applejack. He pulled out a slice of apple pie and sulkily ate it.

"Confound these ponies," He muttered to himself, staring at the box, "They'll drive me to insomnia."


	7. The Realizations

**Hm? What's this? Another chapter? Didn't I say I'd put up the final ending? Well, you're right, I did. But, but, it seems I forgot a chapter. It was really late and I saved it as "untitled", so I forgot about it and discovered it just now! Crazy, huh? I thought something was missing. Anyway, I hope this chapter ties up a few things. This chapter is exclusively a look into Amadeus' mind, and comes between the piano breaking and the debt being paid off.**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but Amadeus and the plot.**

…

Amadeus woke up one morning. Like any other, he did his usual morning routine and went into the workroom to look out the window. Few knew, but the window had a perfect view of Ponyville from the right angle. He picked the house for just that reason, so he could pull inspiration from the daily happenings. He saw the large gingerbread house-like building, and knew the pony that owed him was working overtime to make up for breaking his piano. He glanced back at the broken instrument and sighed. Today, he didn't feel like creating. He felt like looking at his finished projects.

He wandered into the room and drifted aimlessly about the projects he had made over the years. He thought, _Why were those ponies so interested in my art? It's nothing special. None of them even look the type to like art. Well, perhaps aside from Rarity. Maybe they were faking it. Yes, that's it. They were faking it. Pretending. Nobody's ever interested in my art..._

But, even as he thought this, something told him that it wasn't true, that he was lying to himself. He slowly realized that the reason nopony liked him was because he made himself think that they didn't. He would come up with excuses so he could think they hated him.

He shook the realization aside before it kept weakening his barrier to the outside. Since he blocked himself from the world, he had been happy.

_Have you really?_ A voice in his head asked. _You haven't been happy since you've had friends._

_No, you know what will happen._ Another voice sneered. _You'll get friends and they'll leave you, just like before. You'll be sad. You're living a nice life without friends, why bring them back into your life?_

_You need friends!_

_You need nobody!_

_You need to bring them in!_

_You need to push them away!_

"Quiet, quiet, QUIET!" He yelled to himself. Not watching where he was going, he ran into the statue of Fluttershy he had made, and caught it before it fell. Then he thought about it.

_I made this statue because she inspired me,_ he thought,_ right? That's all, right? No, I... Yes, that's it. She gives me inspiration, and that's all._

Once again, he felt that he was lying to himself. Frustrated, he sat down. Throughout the day, this pattern continued. He would ask himself philosophical questions about his life, find an answer that kept him safe from relationships, and then feel that he was lying to himself. Constantly, he would get in mental debates that made him more lost than he was before.

Truth be told, he was like this every day. One of his realizations was that he was using his art as a simple cover so he didn't think of the badly-patched holes in the mental wall he had built, which lead him to a simple realization about his schedule; it was there so he had no time to think of it. However, that day was particularly bad due to the fact that, without his piano, his schedule was thrown off, and he couldn't make art without a proper schedule, so he had no distractions from the lies he fed himself, which threw him into an ever growing tangle of complications that became too big to handle. Ponies dislike him, but do they really? He doesn't need friends, or does he? The one topic that kept recurring, however...

_Am I making friends?_

He thought of the previous days, from when the new ponies entered his life to that very day. And the more he thought, the more he realized that they were determined to make friends with him, while other ponies didn't.

He finally cleared his head just in time for Pinkie Pie to arrive. The doorbell rang through the quiet house at the exact time it had been the past few days. Right on schedule.

"So, you've brought more, right?"

"Yes, sir." Pinkie said, lacking the distinct cheerful bounce in her personality. Amadeus nodded a little as he looked at what she had brought.

"There's more than usual in here. You didn't get any loaned money from your friends, _right_?"

"No, sir. I just got a lot of customers and they left some tips."

After checking to see if there was the slightest change that would tell if she was lying and finding nothing, Amadeus nodded again.

"Alright. But again, if I find out you're getting help, I won't be happy!"

"Yes, sir."

"You can leave now."

He shut the door as Pinkie Pie solemnly cantered off. However, a new question plagued his mind:

_Is this really how I'm treating a pony that _wants_ to be my friend__?_

That question was the one, and the overwhelming amount realizations it brought at once left a gaping hole in his barrier that no amount of lies would fix.

...

**A/N: Well, then, I hope this answers those questions a couple of you have had in mind. So, NOW the story's finished, I think.**


	8. The Confession

**Hello, again. I ought to mention; If I go according to the plan I have right this moment, this is the last chapter before the ending- Or, should I say, endings. I had three or four different ways to end the story, and I thought they were all good, so I've decided to make a multiple ending story. But enough thinking ahead; In this chapter, Amadeus finally allows himself to get attached to somepony; results may vary.**

**Disclaimer: Once again, I own nothing but Amadeus and the plot.**

…

"Hm... This looks like _just_ enough." Amadeus muttered, looking over the money he had compiled from Pinkie Pie over the past few weeks, "I suppose you can stop your daily donations. But wait right here."

He went inside for a bit, and came out with a letter, which he handed to the pink pony.

"Get this to the post office, and you're free from the favor you owe me."

Pinkie Pie nodded and trotted off for the post office.

"I hope my piano doesn't end up on somepony's head like the last time..." He grumbled, "Bloody wall-eyed pegasus that was delivering it ought to be fired..."

…

"I wonder what Amadeus is doing." Twilight wondered aloud, rearranging some of the books. Spike, who was carrying a particularly large stack of books for her, craned his neck so he could see her.

"I suppose he's playing something on that piano of his."

"No, now's not one of his scheduled piano times."

...

In actuality, however, Amadeus _was_ on the piano, and was fussing a peculiar amount over a song he was writing. Normally, he would walk to the window and listen to the daily sounds and get inspiration from them, but this time, he was looking for the perfect combination through trial and error. He would play a few notes, then get caught and bang on the keys a few times before regaining his composure and fretting about the song some more.

As you may have guessed, the song's important to him.

…

"Well, if you're so curious, why don't you go visit him?"

"I was thinking of doing that after fixing these books, actually."

Something hit the tree with a loud thump that sent most of the books off the shelves. Twilight looked out the window.

"Rainbow Dash, what happened this time?"

"Wasn't looking."

Twilight firmly planted a hoof on her forehead and went back inside to fix the books... Again.

…

Amadeus was interrupted from his piano piece by the doorbell chiming.

"Oh, not this again!" He cried, but calmed himself down before he saw who his visitor was.

"Hello, Amadeus. I was curious what you were doing, and felt like visiting because I haven't seen you in a while."

"Oh, you're timed perfectly! I've just finished a very important song, and I _need_ a second opinion before I go show it to..." Looking nervous, he hesitated, but replaced what he was about to say with "The pony I'm going to show it to. Come in, quickly!"

…

"Well, it's not exactly your typical love song," Twilight said, thinking over and examining the song and its lyrics, "But you put your heart into it, and for this kind of song, that's what matters. Who's it for, anyway?"

His mane turned orange and covered his face again.

"It's for..." He said before his speech degraded into incomprehensible, embarrassed mumbles. He shook his head. "I'm sorry, I'd rather not say. But do you think doing this is really a good idea? My mind's in a fight with itself; What if she likes me? What will I do then? More importantly, what if she _doesn't_? It'll be exactly like how my friendships end, but worse..."

"Well, to tell you the truth, I'm not the pony to ask," Twilight said modestly.

Amadeus sighed and turned back to the piano. However, he banged on the keys once, sat up straight, and said, "I'm going to go tell her. I don't care about the consequences, I need to say it sometime! This could be my chance to get out of the shadows!"

"That's the spirit!"

"Now, I need to get my piano to her house!"

"Well, I can use a teleportation spell or a levitation spell to get it there."

"Good! You're so helpful. I'll lead you."

…

Fluttershy had just finished feeding the animals and making sure they were all nice and cozy. She was about to go into her house to clean up a little bit.

"Um, Fluttershy?" She heard. She turned around and saw Amadeus, digging a hole in the ground with his hoof. It was odd; He didn't seem nervous often, and wasn't as quiet as he was being now, either. "Um, there's a song I want you to, uh, hear... Will... Will you listen to it?"

"Of course. I wasn't doing anything important, really. I was just about to tidy up the house some."

"Good. Um, I sort of brought the piano here..." He said quietly, looking back at his piano and the five ponies that had invited themselves to listen. They backed away from the piano a little bit after it was in place. "Sorry, the song's kind of personal. Let me just calm down some..."

He sat at the piano and took a few deeps breaths. He played a note or two to make sure they were working, checked the tightness of the strings, and started playing. The music was, oddly enough, considerably upbeat, for this type of song, anyway.

"I've come to a decision," He sung,

"and I'm finally speaking out.

I'm getting something off my chest,

I know without a doubt

that I'm stuck in a spiraling,

never-ending, always-growing

whirlpool of untold feelings,

and I'm finally getting one thing out!

"There's art in your appearance,

there's music in your voice!

And after years of searching,

I think I've made my choice.

I know my thoughts and it's so true,

I think I'm in love with you!

So please, don't deny me now!

I think that this might work out.

There was a short piano solo, and he resumed singing.

"Yes, that's right, I've said it;

I've lacked love for so long,

emotions got quite bottled up;

my feelings were so strong

that I escaped the whirlpool

of never-ending loneliness that

trapped me through the years,

and saw that the shadow's wrong!

"There's art in your appearance,

there's music in your voice!

And after years of searching,

I think I've made my choice.

I know my thoughts and it's so true,

I think I'm in love with you!

So please, don't deny me now!

I think that this might work out.

Another short solo.

"I hope you feel as I do,

and we can live as one,

and maybe my old, boring life

can finally be some fun!

I have a chance to get away

from that mire of depression that

I've been stuck in for life,

but this gamble is all or none!

"There's art in your appearance,

there's music in your voice!

And after years of searching,

I think I've made my choice.

I know my thoughts and it's so true,

I think I'm in love with you!

So please, don't deny

please, don't deny

please, don't deny me now!

I hope that this can work out."

The music ended with a flourish, and Amadeus bowed slightly, as he always did.

"Shucks, that's sweet." Applejack commented from the sidelines. Rarity nodded in agreement. Rainbow Dash seemed more or less indifferent, but looked slightly touched anyway. Pinkie went on an "Aw, that's so sweet"-type rant to herself, and Twilight looked genuinely happy for him.

"Well, Amadeus, to tell you the truth..." Fluttershy said, quieter and more nervous than usual, "I... Don't really think the feeling's mutual."

The five on the sidelines gasped as Amadeus' mane turned a deep blue and he lost any and all happiness that he was showing. He slowly turned back to the piano.

"I mean, I like you, I think we could be good friends, but I don't think we're thinking on the same-"

Amadeus' mane snapped from blue to red before one could see that it changed color, and he struck the keys hard. Fluttershy stepped back, even more scared than before.

"- Level..."

Amadeus restarted the music for the chorus, but it was not cheerful at all. It was dark and angry, and a bit sad, too.

"There's art in your appearance,

there's music in your voice.

However, sadly, it seems that

you've left me with no choice!

I know my thoughts, and it's so true,

I think it's all because of _you!_

You denied me anyhow!

I figured it would not work out."

He turned around to Fluttershy.

"I knew it! I knew it! I knew this would happen! It's my own fault for stepping out of the shadows that have kept me safe all this time for an _instant_! For considering it, even! I've made up my mind, I know what I'm going to do. Don't try making me change my mind, it won't work." He said. His tone was full of spite, but as soon as he had gotten angry, he became sad again. "I'm going back home. Leave me alone..."

He walked off, using his magic to tow the piano behind him. The five other ponies walked up to Fluttershy.

"I didn't mean to upset him..." She mumbled, lowering her head. Twilight stepped towards her.

"It's okay, it's not your fault. If the feeling isn't mutual between you two, you can't help it. We're not angry at you, and I think Amadeus was more angry at himself than he was you." Twilight said. She looked at Amadeus as he solemnly walked down the road. Looking at his dark figure, which was staying in the shade of the trees, she thought, _I guess shadows just aren't supposed to have light..._


	9. Ending 1:  The Artist's End

**Hello, again. Well, our story comes to its conclusion... Well, one of them, anyway. This is the "Depression" ending, and one of a few. By the way, this isn't the "True" ending; That'll be the last one I post up. Anyway, I hope you like it. Oh, and fair warning, there's some slight death in this chapter.**

**Disclaimer: I only own Amadeus and the plot.**

…

It was a day like any other when Twilight heard the music. One could say she only heard it because she was worried about Amadeus, as he was very fragile, and after his heartbreak the previous day, she wanted to know if he was doing any better. The music today, however, was severely different that his usual piano pieces; It had long, silent spaces between the unmotivated notes that he _did_ play. Naturally, she knew this didn't bode well. She walked up to the door and was about to press the doorbell when a small gust of wind pushed it open; It hadn't been closed correctly. She stepped into the dark hallway and found her way to the workroom.

Amadeus was not in good condition, appearance-wise. He was slumped over, laying his head on the piano keys; His mane couldn't keep itself up at all, and was a depressing shade of gray that Twilight hadn't seen it turn before.

"Amadeus...?" She asked nervously. There was a quiet sigh in response.

_At least he's alive,_ She thought.

"Amadeus, are you feeling any better?"

"No." He said, still staring blankly at the piano keys. "I feel worse than I ever have."

"Um... Is there anything I can do to help?"

"Well, you could leave. After carefully considering my thoughts, I'm giving up."

"... Giving up what?"

He turned around on his chair and gave her a blank, lifeless stare. He responded with one word, that proved how badly his fragile psyche was broken.

"Life."

He sighed and turned back to his piano.

"I've left a paper right over there, with all the details of what will happen when I'm dead. My will, if you wish to call it that. Take it and leave."

"But Amadeus-"

"I said take it and leave!" He said loudly. His mane spiked up for a couple seconds and turned the slightest bit red, but quickly returned to its gray, lifeless state.

_What am I to do...?_ Twilight thought. _If I leave to get help, he'll surely be dead when I get back, so I can't leave him, because I don't want that happening... But if I don't leave, there's no way I can change his mind!_

"Go ahead, go get your friends, if you really think that'll help. I _promise_ not to kill myself while you're gone."

"Huh? You-"

"I saw it in your eyes. When someone's thinking of something, you can see it in their eyes."

Twilight blinked a couple times, shook her head, and ran off to get the others.

Amadeus looked after her and smiled sadly.

He lied.

**The End**

…

The teenage pegasus closed the book she just finished and looked at the clock on her bedside table. Almost 8:00. Any time now, her mother would come in and tell her to go to bed.

"Honey, it's almost bedtime."

Sure enough, her mom came in and said what she said every night. The daughter sighed and put the book back on its shelf haphazardly before snuggling under the blanket. Her mom smiled and turned out the light.

The mom looked out the window at the night sky and saw a bright full moon. With a sad smile, she waited until her daughter went to sleep, and then went outside to visit a house.

It was a dark, unpainted, slightly broken house, but she went inside anyway. She went down the dim, painting-lined hallway and to a room full of unfinished art projects that were covered in cobwebs and dust. She looked around, at the canvases, at the stage, at the piano, and sat down in a dusty chair. Moments later, the piano started playing a quiet tune. Shortly after, the transparent image of a black unicorn with a yellow mane appeared, playing the keys with masterful precision. A ghostly voice echoed around the room, singing a quiet song.

"I didn't want to do it..." It sung in a low voice,

"But really, why live on?

Friendship and love both left me...

And will to live was gone..."

The spirit paused its song to turn its head slightly, seeing the one that had come to hear his performance. He smiled slightly, and resumed the song.

"I knew my thoughts, I know what's true,

I still think this choice was right, too...

But, I'm sort of happy now...

In the end, it all worked out..."

The song ended with a dying flourish, and the ghost turned to look at the one that was watching.

"I guess..." He said with a sigh. He looked out the window, at the moon. "Well, you know, ghosts can only exist when the moon's light is illuminating where they died... The moon's about to rise and move out of the way... If you want to hear another performance, come back at night when there's a full moon again, like you've been doing for the past years... But for now, I bid you _adieu_..." He paused and looked at her face one more time. A heartbroken smile crossed his face, and he turned back to the piano, "Fluttershy."

With a slight wave, the image flickered and died as the moonlight left the piano's area, leaving only shadows.

**A/N: I don't think this one was good. I liked the idea in my head, but it didn't come out the way I thought it would when I typed it. Oh, well, I know how the next ending's going to go; That ought to be much better.**


	10. Ending 2:  The Statues

**Hello, again. Well, after that last chapter, I'm happy to say that this chapter has no death in it, at least. However, this _is_ the "Insanity" ending.  
>Disclaimer: Once again, I only own Amadeus and the plot.<strong>

...

It was a day like any other when Twilight heard the music. One could say she only heard it because she was worried about Amadeus, as he was very fragile, and after his heartbreak the previous day, she wanted to know if he was doing any better. The music today, however, was severely different that his usual piano pieces; It was discordant and had no melody to it. Frankly, it was closer compared to a banging of keys. Twilight, knowing this didn't mean well for Amadeus, went in to visit.

…

"Hey, Rarity, do you know where Twilight is?" Spike asked. "I haven't been able to find her since yesterday!"

Rarity finished the stitch she was making and looked at the fabric pattern. Pleased with herself, she set it down, and responded, "What was that, dear?"

"I can't find Twilight! Yesterday, she said she was going to see how Amadeus was doing, and she's been gone since!"

"Hm. That's odd... Maybe she stayed over to make sure he didn't do anything ridiculous in his current heartbroken state. I'll go see if she's there; I was about to go buy some new patterns, anyway."

Rarity put on her best clothing and switched the open sign to "Gone out- Be back soon" And headed off for Amadeus' house. Spike decided to go back to the library in case Twilight came back.

…

"Gone out- Be back soon." Apple Bloom read. She sighed. "Great. If she's out, the door's locked, and if the door's locked, we can't get anything to make our costumes with!"

"... What were we making our costumes for, again?" Sweetie Belle asked, earning a little bit of an annoyed stare from Apple Bloom.

"Costume party, remember?"

"Oh, yeah! Right, right."

"Hey, girls, what's goin' on?" Applejack asked, walking up to the trio.

"Well, Rarity's out, and the door's locked, and we need costumes!" Scootaloo explained. Applejack looked at the sign.

"Well, ain't that odd... That sign was up there yesterday! Where's she been all this time?"

The young trio in front of her shrugged.

"Has Rarity found Twilight yet?"

Then there were five as Spike walked up to the group. He glanced at the sign and frowned.

"'Fraid not," Applejack told him, "I saw that sign up yesterday!"

"Well, I came over yesterday, and I told her that I hadn't seen Twilight the day before, and she went to Amadeus' to... Well, she went up to get fabric patterns, but said she'd find Twilight while she was up there."

"Hmph. Well, she's been over there all night, and I think that's long enough. Whatever she's doing, I'm gonna go get her. C'mon, girls, can't leave ya here alone."  
>The four left off in the direction of Amadeus' house. Spike returned to the library again.<p>

…

Spike looked out the window and saw Big Macintosh. He looked worried about something, and Spike stopped fixing books and went out to talk with him.

"Is something wrong?" He asked. "It's not natural for you to be worried."

"Well, we haven't been able to find Applejack anywhere since yesterday," Big Macintosh explained, "And we need her to help us harvest some apples. Less comforting is that Apple Bloom seems to have disappeared with her."

Spike gripped the sides of his head.

"First Twilight, then Rarity, then Applejack and Apple Bloom, and probably Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle, too! All the ponies that go into Amadeus' house disappear!"

"... Whose?"

"Hard to explain. Where's Rainbow Dash? She's tough! She can deal with whatever's going on in there! Have you seen her?"

"... Well, last I saw her, she was sleepin' on a cloud on the way here."

"Thanks! I'm sure you'll see Applejack soon enough!"

…

"Rainbow Dash! Rainbow Dash, wake up!"

Rainbow Dash yawned and rubbed her eyes before looking down at who was yelling at her to wake up.

"Rainbow Dash, everyone's going missing! They visit Amadeus and disappear all of a sudden! First it was Twilight, then Rarity, then Applejack and Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo and Apple Bloom! You need to help!"

Rainbow Dash was awake now; It's hard to be sleepy when there's a baby dragon yelling at you about ponies going missing.

"Ah, sweet! There's something interesting going on! I'll go see Amadeus and get everyone back!" She said, standing up.

"Be careful that he doesn't-" Spike tried to say, but didn't manage to finish before she zoomed off for the house.

…

Spike heard a knocking on the door.

"I bet that it's someone looking for Rainbow Dash." He said flatly, and went to open the door. Pinkie Pie was standing out there.

"Hey, Spike! Have you seen Rainbow Dash?"

"Called it."

"Just yesterday, we planned all these great pranks, and I can't find her _anywhere_ to start doing them!"

"Well, she went into Amadeus' house-"

"Great! I'll go look there!"

"But I don't think that-" Spike tried to say before Pinkie Pie went to the house as well, but couldn't say it fast enough, and probably would've been ignored if he had.

…

Fluttershy was just about to finish counting the birds when they were scared off by a loud yell.

"FLUTTERSHY!"

Fluttershy cringed a little and turned around, seeing Spike, who was tired from running all the way there.

"Yes, Spike?"

"Fluttershy, everyone's gone missing! They all went into Amadeus' house, and didn't come back out! Twilight, Rarity, Applejack, the cutie mark crusaders, Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie; You're the only one left! You need to go in and talk some sense into Amadeus, whatever he's done with them! I think he'll listen to you!"

"Are you sure he'll listen to me?"

"... Well, no, but you're our only hope! He loves you- Well, at least, loved you. You need to help us!"

Fluttershy swallowed nervously.

"And you're sure they're missing?"

"Yes, I'm sure!"

"Well... I suppose..."

"Be careful!"

"I will!" She said as she started off for Amadeus' house.

…

Fluttershy looked up at the dark house atop the hill and swallowed nervously again. She headed up for the door and was about to push the doorbell when the door swung open.\

"Oh, hello, Fluttershy!" Amadeus said, warmly and cheerfully, "I was just looking for you! Come in, there's an important project I'm doing!"

He motioned her in, and she hesitantly stepped inside. The door swung shut behind her.

"Come to my workroom, if you please. No time to waste."

In the room, there were six statues on stage. One of Twilight, one of Rarity, one of Applejack, one of the three cutie mark crusaders, one of Rainbow Dash, and one of Pinkie Pie. Each one had the name of the pony the embodied on the base; The curious thing, however, was the empty base. There was no statue on it, and the base had Fluttershy written on it.

"Amadeus, what happened to everyone? Spike told me about how everyone came in and sort of... Disappeared."

"Oh, that? Ha, ha, no, no, that's a simple misunderstanding! When they came over, I asked your friends if they could stay while I made statues of them, so I could have friends that would last forever... It started with Twilight, but when I didn't finish her statue, I asked her to stay over. The next day, Rarity came by, and I wanted a statue of her, too, so I finished neither and asked them both to stay. So on and so forth until today, when I finally finish them all in rapid succession! In fact, you just missed your friends leaving. When I saw I had statues of the rest of the group, I figured, 'to heck with it,' and made a statue base for you!"

He motioned to the base. The statues, however, weren't as cheery as they were before; oddly, they were now glaring at him as one would glare at a liar when one knew the truth but couldn't speak. Fluttershy glanced back and forth between them and Amadeus.

"Um, in that case, I really ought to leave..."

"No! No, you need to stay!"

The statues, when Fluttershy glanced at them again, were looking at her, warning her. She looked back at Amadeus, right into his eyes. The warmth and welcoming they had before was replaced with malice and insanity.

"Fluttershy, has anyone ever told you how good you'd look as a statue?"

…

**A/N: I think this ending was the first I thought of; If not, I'm sure it was the second. For some reason, it's also my favorite; I like the concept of Amadeus going mad and turning the group into statues so he could "Have friends that last forever". The original ending had Amadeus _almost_ turn Fluttershy into a statue, but come to his senses and get her to move just in time to not get hit by the statue spell, and eventually release the others, too, and ended with him moving out of Ponyville. However, I scrapped that in favor of the scarier, more dramatic ending. My only real complaint about this ending is that I think that I did badly trying to find an excuse for each pony to visit Amadeus. Anyway, there's... Let's see... One more ending, I think. Stay tuned!**


	11. Ending 3:  The Storm

**Hello, again! Okay, so, turns out that I have this ending and another one. When writing the last chapter, I was considering mixing this ending and the next. Either way, this is the "Fury" ending. This ending, as the trend seems to be going, is better than the previous two, but it's bittersweet at best.**

**Disclaimer: Still, I don't own anything but Amadeus and the plot. We've been through this.**

…

It was a day like any other when Twilight heard the music. One could say she only heard it because she was worried about Amadeus, as he was very fragile, and after his heartbreak the previous day, she wanted to know if he was doing any better. His music was doing better than she expected, but it was much angrier than he usually played. It was also a fresh new piece, as judged by how many times he would drop off and restart a few verses back. Slightly worried, Twilight went up to the houses' door and rang the bell. This was followed by loud hoofsteps and the door swinging open violently with a splintering sound as it hit the wall.  
>"What do you want?" He growled, glaring down at her as he usually did when angry.<br>"Well, I came to see if you were doing any better." She explained.  
>"Well, I'm fine. I don't need your therapy or whatever you were planning to give me. I'm working on making the perfect piece! I'll work on it, day and night, until it lives up to its name as the perfect piece! I can't be bothered while I'm making it. Shoo!"<p>

Before Twilight had a chance to protest, the door swung shut and bent the frame a little. Where it had hit the wall had another indentation, and the door itself had a crack or two in it. Twilight sighed and made her way back to the library.

…

True to his word, Amadeus worked on it day and night, 24/7. While Twilight didn't hear it herself, a few ponies from town were complaining the next day about being kept up all night. Applejack was one of the victims.  
>"He's been playing the darn thing all night! Nobody at the farm could get any sleep! 'Cept for Granny Smith; Takes a lot to keep her up." She told Twilight. "I can still hear it in my ears!"<p>

"Applejack, you still hear it because he's still playing." Twilight pointed out, looking at the house. The curtains were all closed, and the windows were locked, as was the door, but the music could still be heard.  
>"What's so important about the darn song that he has to play it all day 'n' night?"<br>"Well, from what he told me, he's making the 'perfect song' and isn't going to stop until it's just that."

"Why's he doin' that?"  
>"Beats me."<p>

…

This continued on for about a week; Amadeus would refuse to stop playing, except for very short breaks every once in a while; Even then, he wasted no time in getting back to the song. People got progressively more tired and irritable as they were kept up every hour of the day by the piano. Finally, after precisely 8 days, 10 hours, 26 minutes, 51 seconds, 6 milliseconds, and 2 microseconds, as recorded by a particularly scientific pony, it came to a flourish and ended. Several ponies let out sighs of relief and went to take naps. Hearing that it had ended, Twilight went to see Amadeus again. Once again, the door was swung open and smashed against the wall.  
>"What is it?" Amadeus asked, sounding irritated.<br>"Well, I heard you finished your song!"  
>"Oh, yes, I did." He said, cheering up a little (but not much). "It took me forever, but the perfect song is <em>done<em>!"  
>"Great!"<br>"It's 24 hours long, and at exactly midnight tonight, I will play it through, and my perfect song will make the perfect storm!"

"Wait, what st-"  
>The door shut again, bending in the door frame more. Twilight sighed.<p>

_The perfect storm? Must just be the name of the song or something._

…

Twilight was awoken by Spike.  
>"Twilight! Wake up! Something weird's happening!"<br>"Spike, what is it?" Twilight groaned.  
>"Look out the window!"<br>When she looked outside, she saw a perfectly peaceful night, save for a bit of wind blowing the trees around.  
>"Spike, there's nothing wrong."<br>"Look at the sky over Amadeus' house! _Closely_."  
>She sighed and looked at the house. Above it was a strange, rolling, black cloud. Faintly, she heard the music.<br>"... Just a second, I need to see Rainbow Dash."

…

"Rainbow Dash!" She called to the pegasus, who was sleeping in a tree as she did. Rainbow Dash yawned.  
>"Twilight, it's the middle of the night. What is it?"<br>"Is there a storm in the weather schedule?"  
>"... No, why?"<br>"Look over at Amadeus' house."  
>The pegasus squinted.<br>"Are those... Storm clouds?"  
>"I think so! That's why I came to you!"<br>"They're growing awfully fast... We need to clear them up before they get much bigger!"

Just as Rainbow Dash was about to take off, a gust of wind blew her out of the tree. As this happened, in the background, unnoticed, the music did a quick crescendo before quieting down again. Rainbow Dash stood up and took off, but was blown down by the wind again. She took off once more, and this time flew fine for a few seconds, but in the background, the music hit a deep, loud note and lighting came down from the rapidly growing cloud and hit Rainbow Dash. Twilight gasped and ran over.

"Rainbow Dash! Are you okay?"

The pegasus groaned a little and rolled onto her stomach.  
>"Yeah... I think I'm fine." She said, trying to get up. It was a futile attempt, however, and she could only push herself up a few inches before pain brought her back down.<br>"Maybe we shouldn't be flying right now." Twilight said, looking around. Finding nothing she could use to get the injured pegasus to the doctor, she said, "Stay here. I'll get help as soon as possible."

Rainbow Dash waved a hoof slightly to indicate that she had heard, and Twilight galloped off as quickly as possible.

…

"What in tarnation's goin' on around here?" Applejack asked as the doctors arrived to get Rainbow Dash to safety. She was holding her hat in her mouth so it wouldn't be blown away by the strong winds.  
>"I don't know! Spike woke me up about some storm, and-"<br>Twilight stopped mid-sentence when realization struck.

_The perfect storm!_ She thought, and looked at Amadeus' house. A dark pillar of smoke was rising from the chimney and joined with the clouds. She heard the music and saw a lightning bolt strike a nearby tree just as a note was struck violently. She heard the crescendo as the wind picked up, and rain started when high, fast notes started playing.  
>"And...?" Applejack prompted.<br>"Applejack, I'm paying a visit to Amadeus."  
>"Ain't there more important things to do right now?"<br>"Trust me, Applejack."

Being battered by the strengthening wind and rain, Twilight made her way to the house that was the source of the problems. She tried to get in, but the door was locked. She hit the doorbell. No response. She knocked on the door. No response. Frustrated, she decided to go back and try to work up a plan.  
>"Applejack, get the others and have them meet me in the library."<p>

"Can do!"

Applejack ran off to get the others, and Twilight went back to the library.

…

"Okay," Twilight said, pacing back and forth in front of the four other ponies, "We certainly can't fly to clear the clouds, so our main goal is making sure that as few people get hurt as possible. Rarity, Fluttershy, you two are on first aid. Applejack, Pinkie Pie, you two work on trying to get people to the town hall. That's the most structurally sound building I can think of. I'll oversee the project and try to reason with Amadeus, if possible. If you hear the music change, look around and see what's happening. Everyone, move out!"

The four ponies nodded and ran out to see to their duties. Twilight started to go out and heard a new layer, a rising and falling series of notes. She felt the winds getting stronger and looked around. The rain had turned to hail a few minutes before, but she looked at the house and probably one of the worst things that could happen happened.  
>The clouds dipped down slightly, and went back. They dipped down again, farther this time, but returned one more time. Then, they dipped down into a funnel and stayed there. Scared, Twilight went to find the group.<br>She found Rarity first.  
>"Rarity! Get the others! There's a small tornado, and the people near Amadeus' place need to get away ASAP!"<p>

She nodded and galloped off to find the others.  
>"What's Amadeus <em>thinking<em>?" Twilight said to herself in a slight panic. "This'll destroy the town!"  
>She looked back at Amadeus' place again. To her relief, she saw the tornado shrink back.<br>But not before tearing the broken part of the wall near the door off.  
>Seeing this as her chance, she ran as fast as she could to the house. She burst into the workroom.<br>"Amadeus, what are you doing?" She yelled over the noise of the storm. He turned his head to her slightly, but didn't stop playing.

"I'm playing my perfect song! I put all my anger, all my fury, all my pent-up emotions from my entire life into this song, and I'm not stopping until it's through!"  
>"You're making a horrible storm! You'll destroy the town!"<p>

He smirked evilly and played a series of loud notes that caused several lightning strikes.  
>"I know."<br>He turned the wind up again.  
>"You see, when I started this song, I had this in mind. I've been emotionally beat up all my life, and just took it. <em><strong>This<strong>_** is where I return it all!**"

The music made another crescendo, and the black clouds poured out of the piano's lid, into the fireplace, and up through the chimney.

"When I was a young colt, I was alone. I was ignored, cast aside. The few friends I had were taken away by something. As I grew up, it was the same deal. I had few friends that all left me for some reason, and I was teased for my interest in art by the 'popular' ones; the jocks, the cool ones that never did anything, the ones that were putting up an elaborate ruse to look popular with the help of a misguided clique. Still now, nothing ever goes my way, and I'm forever alone. But I sit and take it all in, like a balloon being filled with air. But all balloons pop if you don't release the air, and I suppose you could say I've popped. I'm sick of it all! I'm sick of horrid luck, I'm sick of seeing others with their 'friends'! I'm finally going to take out my anger!"  
>He started the tornado again, and the rain returned to hail. Twilight tried to charge at him, to break the piano and stop the music, but two half-finished statues slid into her way without the song missing a beat.<p>

"When I'm done, this town will be in ruins! But I don't want to see anypony die, no. At most, I wish severe but _temporary_ injuries to the living things. Even then, I don't _want_ anypony to get hurt, but if it can't be helped, it can't be helped. I hope everyone's somewhere safe... And flood proof. You know that big dam upriver? That's my next target! So, what do you do? _Maybe_ stop me, or _surely_ save everyone else?"  
>Twilight glared at him, but lowered her head in defeat.<br>"I need to save everyone else."  
>She ran off to get the message out.<p>

…

"Applejack!"  
>"What now?" Applejack sighed.<br>"Applejack, there's going to be a flood! We need to make this place flood-proof! Everyone in town's here, right?"  
>"Yup, everyone's here. I'll work on flood-proofin' the place!"<p>

Twilight sighed in relief.

…

As Amadeus promised, the storm raged on for 24 hours. Once everypony was assured that the place was practically a fortress, the tension lowered a little. Ponies would chat about mundane things, or play games, or other things to make the situation more fun. Along the course of the storm, there was rain, wind, hail, a blizzard, a flood, lightning, thunder, a tornado, heat waves, cold spells, and about every other weather danger possible. When the music ended, everything quickly ground to a halt; The rain quickly wound down, the wind slowed, the clouds cleared up, and the temperature returned to normal. As soon as it was sure it was over, they went to Amadeus's house, the one house that was relatively unscathed. But everything was gone. The piano, the statues, the paintings, music sheets, everything but the house itself. The one thing that was left was a note left behind where the piano was.  
><em>Dear citizens of Ponyville,<em>

_I dearly apologize for my rash behavior. After my music was finished, I saw the error of what I had done in my anger. To avoid something like this happening again, I have fled to a location I will keep private. It should be in your best interests that you do not attempt to find me, as bringing me back will likely result in another horrible storm sooner or later. Again, I apologize for my irrational action and hope that the reconstruction will not be a problem. If you look in the basement, there should be a large amount of scrap wood and stone that I have left behind that will hopefully help in rebuilding the town._

_Amadeus M._

…

The town rebuilt fairly nicely after the storm, mostly due to the spare materials in the basement, and Amadeus was never heard of since. But some ponies say that, if one listens closely between 10:00-11:00 AM or 8:00-9:00 PM, you'll hear a piano faintly playing on the breeze...

...

**A/N: This was another ending I thought of, the third, I think. The original had Amadeus personally saying goodbye to the six main characters, but while writing the story, logic set in that personally saying goodbye to anypony would end in him getting arrested or whatever. So, _next_ ending is going to be the "true" ending... Probably.**


	12. Ending 4: The Reality

**Hello, again, and welcome to the last chapter! This ending is the "true" ending, and if I make another My Little Pony story, assume the events come after this ending. I apologize for the time with no chapters, but I wanted this chapter to be good as possible. So, let's get on with it, shall we?**

**Disclaimer: For the final time, I only own Amadeus and the plot.**

…

It was a day like any other when Twilight heard the music. One could say she only heard it because she was worried about Amadeus, as he was very fragile, and after his heartbreak the previous day, she wanted to know if he was doing any better. It was a fast, panicked song, which worried Twilight slightly. She went up and rang the doorbell. Amadeus opened the door.

"Twilight, I'm glad you're here! There's no time to waste! You need to see the painting I painted just this morning!"

He yanked her inside, neglecting to close the door, and pulled her to the art room. He stood her in the doorway and made a canvas slide over. On it was the image of a colossal black figure. It had a roughly triangular, legless body that spread out as it touched the ground; long, thick arms with huge fists; and a round head with two pure white eyes slanted in a glare. It stood in front of the sun and threw shadows over Ponyville.

"I got that 'Painting of the future' feeling right after painting this! That absolutely can't be good! I've never seen this creature before... I don't know what it can do... But it's big, and that's bad!"

He put his hooves on her shoulders and started shaking her.

"WE! NEED! TO! MAKE! A! PLAN!"

After shaking her some more, he blinked a few times, then took his hooves off her.

"Sorry. I do that when I panic."

Twilight straightened her eyes from their rattled state of being in two different directions and looked at the painting again. She sighed.

"How are we going to manage this?"

"I have _no idea!_" Amadeus said. He took a few deep breaths and continued. "I can't think of any way something _so huge_ could be defeated! We don't even know what it is! We don't know if it has a weakness, a resistance, all we know is that _IT'S BIG!_"

He sat down and hit his head off the keys. He raised a hoof high into the air.

"I got it! We can... No, that wouldn't work at all." He said, lowering his hoof as he realized it wouldn't work. "Twilight, you know books! Have you ever read anything about something like this?"

She shook her head, resulting in another faceplant on the keys.

"I suppose the best we can do is wait for the thing to appear and wait for- Wait, I need to change the painting!"

With little warning, he pulled over his set of paint and made a paintbrush levitate. When he was done rearranging it, the figures' arm was made of a swirl of colors.

"... Twilight, come back later. Often, these pictures take hours to get to their finished state. I'll tweak details over and over, and only then it'll be exactly what happens."

…

Indeed, Amadeus came bursting into the library later.

"Twilight, it's finished! I can sense it!"

With that, he set up an easel he was carrying and pulled the cloth off the painting. Now, the creature retained its figure, but had several changes. The colored arm's fist was made of stone; The other arm appeared to be made of paper, while that hand was made of wood. The head seemed to be made of a mish-mash of fabrics all stitched together, and the body seemed to be made of clay. In the center of the clay laid a bright red heart (No, not the "four valves and an aorta" kind, the "upside-down triangle with two half circles" kind).  
>"I think that heart is its weak point. I know typical monsters; They all have a weakness, an Achilles' heel that can take them down easily. Usually, it's either the eye or the glowy bit. And that heart looks glowy. And weak."<p>

"... And you're sure?"

"Did Prokofiev write _Dance of the knights_?"

"... I'll assume 'yes'."

"Yes, he did. Anyway, trust me. That heart looks like its most vulnerable point."

"Why's it made of all that stuff?"

"Beats..." He said, but his pupils shrunk and he spaced out. His voice went monotone. "I need to go make something."

He walked off towards his house. A startled Twilight went after him.

"Amadeus, are you-"

"I need to go make something."

"But I-"

"I need to go make something."

"But-"

"I **need** to go make something."

Twilight stopped and watched him as he walked off, head tilted slightly. She shrugged and went back to the library.

…

Amadeus arrived at his house. He went and gathered a little bit of everything; He picked up some clay, some wood, some stone, some fabric, and some writing paper and rolled them up into a ball. He stepped over to the piano and played a piece he had never played before with great precision. The small ball of stuff wobbled a little, then started to move around and shape itself...

…

Twilight heard an odd music as she was dusting some old books. It sounded like random notes, but at the same time had an odd rhythm to it. She ignored it until the ink bottle started shaking and fell off the desk. She looked at it and groaned a little.

"Spike, get the... Huh?" She said when she noticed the spilled ink was moving, slowly but surely, towards the door. A couple of loose scrap papers flittered upwards as if they were blown by an invisible breeze and were sucked out the window.

"What is it, Twilight?" Spike asked as he ran in. Twilight looked at the dragon.

"Spike, I think we have a bit of a problem..." She explained, looking down at the ink. A couple more papers flew out the window.

…

Twilight and Spike followed the ink to the outskirts of town, where other half-finished things were being pulled. Rarity showed up, chasing after a dress she had set aside for a while and was shocked when it burst apart and floated to the ground.

"Wha-? What just happened?" She asked Twilight. The unicorn shook her head to show how confused she was as well. A half-eaten cupcake, the other an apple with a bite out of it. The two foods joined the pile of stuff while the ponies watched.

"We don't have any clue what's going on here, either." Rarity told them before they could ask.

"Guys, we should stop this thing from growing." Twilight said to the group.

"Now what makes you think that?" Applejack asked, looking at the pile.

"Well, Amadeus showed me a picture of a big... Thing made of various materials. And I think this is what's going to make it!"

"Aw, how big was it? Nothing we shouldn't be able to handle."

"Well, it overshadowed the _entire town._"

"... Yeah, let's get rid of this."

…

They tried everything they could, but the pile would just regenerate its missing parts before they could get it all. Eventually, they tried fire on the now landfill-sized pile that was taking stuff from faraway towns.

It didn't work.

When they burnt it, it rose into a column. Fabric and thread made a large ball. Paint and ink made a branch, paper made another. Wood formed a rough fist at the end of the paper branch, stone at the end of the ink branch. The clay that was compiled made an upside-down triangle; The fist shapes sharpened and made clearer hands; And the ball rose to the top and gained two pure white, glaring eyes.

"Fate..." Twilight muttered, annoyed, "Just _screwed us over_."

The thing pounded the ground with its fists.

"Alright, we need to get that heart!" Twilight yelled as the thing continued sucking up things. Amadeus ran up about then.

"What happened?" He asked Twilight, "I blanked out for a while and woke up in front of my piano, playing the weirdest- It came to life, didn't it?"

"Yep."

"G_reeeaaat_." He said flatly and sarcastically.

Several pegasi flew up and tried to dive into the heart. Each one was knocked down by the fists. Some ponies tried a catapult. It caught the ammunition. Unicorns tried magic. This just made it more powerful. The battle went on and on, with more and more casualties. Even Rainbow Dash couldn't get close to the heart, but was lucky enough to dodge the hands and come back down with no injuries.

"This is going horribly!" Twilight said, hiding behind a wall with the others. "We haven't even injured it, and all we've succeeded in is making it more powerful!"

There was a cannon sound. Something hit the wall. Then there was a hissing.

"RUN!" Twilight said. They got away from the wall before it was knocked over by the explosion, and managed to get out with only a few injuries.

Amadeus saw this and something or other clicked in him. Some instinct. Some primal rage. He turned to the monster, mane bright red. The monster glared back at him and swung a fist in an attempt to crush him. His horn glowed red and the monster's fist froze in mid-air.

"What's he doin'?" Applejack asked, "He's gonna get killed!"

"You could steal from beggars," Amadeus said as the monster's fist was smashed into the ground violently by an unseen force, "And I wouldn't care."

The monster growled and reshaped its fist. Its wooden hand turned into a cannon and tried launching another bomb. It froze in mid-air like the hand.

"You could kill hundreds," He said, flinging the bomb into the clay base of the monster, "And I wouldn't care."

The bomb blew up and left a large hole in the body of the monster, but it was quickly regenerated. The monster curled into a ball and tried rolling at Amadeus to crush him.

"You could burn the town," Amadeus said, disappearing and reappearing to the side, "And I wouldn't care!"

The monster stopped and looked at him. He took a threatening step towards it.

"_BUT YOU LAY A FINGER ON MY FRIENDS_," He said loudly, quickly glancing back at the six and returning focus to the monster. He ran towards it.

"AND."

He dodged the fist when it tried to smash him.

"I'LL."

He jumped on the arm and ran up it.

"CARE!"

He dove at the heart, his sharp, black horn aimed straight for it. He punctured it, entire body glowing with energy, and slashed downward as if he was using a sword, leaving a large gash in the heart. The monster roared at him, but started to lose its composition. Amadeus slid down its paint arm before it melted and landed on the ground. The heart throbbed a few times, then inflated and popped like a balloon. Everything just fell apart from there. Amadeus looked back at it and promptly collapsed.

…

"Amadeus...? Amadeus, are you okay...?"

Amadeus opened his eyes and saw some blurry figures in front of him. He had a horrible headache, and felt drained of energy. He heard echoed talking all around him.

"He's opened his eyes. He's getting better."

He came into focus and saw the six ponies and a nurse. It was Twilight that was talking. He was in his own house, he could see.

"What happened out there?" Applejack asked. "Ya got all angry and killed that pile o' scrap!"

"I... I don't really know... I just saw you guys hurt, and something in my head sent me into overdrive... I don't know... It just happened."

"Musta taken a lot a' energy out a' you, whatever you did. You've been asleep for hours, now!"

"By the way," Twilight interjected, "I noticed that everything in that pile was unfinished. I know it sounds silly, but I guess it was the embodiment of things that were set aside without being finished, and was angry because everypony just set them aside and ignored them."

"... Somehow, that makes sense." Amadeus mumbled to himself as he thought it over.

"Oh, by the way, um, you might want to, um, look at yourself..." Fluttershy said as she pulled over a mirror. Amadeus' previously-black coat was changed to a royal shade of purple. He looked at himself from a few angles.

"I guess I don't quite look like a shadow anymore, do I?" He chuckled. "I remember how I used to look like this... I guess my isolation changed me to become even more shadow-like... Odd phenomenon, I've never seen it on anypony but me. Y'know, I think I see it now. Back there, fighting that thing. I got angry because he hurt you. Sure, he hurt others, but I got angry because I finally realized; You're all my friends. I think this is the friendship that isn't going to leave for once. Fate brought the strangest ponies together; A tightly-knit group of friends and a loner that didn't want friendship. Weird, right? And you all _tried_ to make me your friends, even after I tried to keep you away. That's what made you all different. Everyone else gave up; they didn't want to be my friend in their heart. So... Friends?"

The group looked at each other, nodded, then nodded at him. He smiled.

"Now, I need some more rest. If you don't mind, I need just a bit more alone time."

…

That was the end of Amadeus' life as a shadow. He gave up isolation and made some genuine friendships. Twilight would come over once in a while and pick some books to read, written by Amadeus himself...

…

"Song of the Lost Souls... Nah... The Flames... Nah..." Twilight said as she looked through the unorganized shelves. "Cupcakes?" Curious, she used magic and pulled the black book off the shelf.

Amadeus, startled at her discovery of the book, ran over and swiped it from her hooves. He threw it in a box and locked it, then put that box in another locked box, and that box in the back of a closet.

"No, no, you wouldn't like that one. Trust me." He said, fake smile turned up to full.

…

Rarity would visit and he would share patterns with her (For free, of course!)...

…

"Do you not like the color?" He asked.

"No, the color's fine."

"Do you not like the shapes?"

"No, the shapes are fine. It just doesn't work for my current dress. It needs to work about 20% more."

Amadeus threw his hooves in the air in frustration.

…

Fluttershy would pose for some of his statues...  
>…<p>

"Just one more finishing touch, and..."

Amadeus was startled by Angel stomping on his head. The statue fell over and broke.

"What the- What's this bloody _rabbit_ doing in here?" He asked frustratedly.

"This is Angel Bunny. You haven't met him?"

"I can't say I've had the pleasure of doing so." Amadeus responded through gritted teeth.

_Mental note: Buy rabbit repellent._

…

Applejack would bring him some food as a present once in a while...

…

"Thanks, Applejack!"

"Any time!"

Amadeus went and looked at the collection of apple dishes Applejack had brought him. The large, large collection.

"There is _no way_ to keep up with her." He muttered as he cleared some counter space to put the latest package.

…

Somehow, Pinkie Pie wound up getting piano lessons from him...

…

"No, no, no! That was a completely cacophonous catastrophe!" Amadeus commented on Pinkie's latest musical failure. "You can sing, you can play accordion and trombone and every other instrument but you can't play piano, we know that much."

…

And Rainbow Dash, well...

…

"Three hours and counting, yet you're no closer to finishing that puzzle than you were before."

…

**A/N: Well, well, it seems we've come to a close on this story. However, in the future, I'll probably write more stories for this show. Anyway, my main concern with this ending is that I'm absolutely horrible with dramatic scenes. That, and I couldn't think of what the monster should be... Or why it should be attacking. But anyway, I hope you liked it either way. For now, I'll be seeing you!**


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